Engineering

Today’s work environment demands the very best in engineering and system integration. Competitive markets require the design of state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and effective operations. In addition, engineered solutions are necessary to offset ever increasing manpower costs. The bottom line is that the cost of doing business on the Federal, State and local levels has to be based on sound engineering taking into consideration safety and security, as well as design and maintenance of cost effective operations.

GEM’s innovative engineering assures appropriate design and effective system integration. Fundamental to GEM success is the commitment of our professional engineers’ to our customers, and our fully guaranteed work.

GEM has conducted electrical engineering and instrumentation design for construction of several Department of Energy facilities. This has included providing the technical specifications associated with overhead electrical distribution systems, security systems, and secondary electrical systems. GEM currently provides electrical engineering support for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve facilities located in Texas and Louisiana.

GEM has provided mechanical engineering services to several Department of
Energy facilities and currently provides mechanical engineering support for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in New Orleans, Louisiana. We have also performed assessments of several commercial petroleum reserve sites/facilities.

GEM experience base in biological and industrial engineering includes resource management, optimization of manpower, productivity improvement, human factors engineering/ergonomics, space utilization, and downsizing prioritization. Our use of resource utilization and efficiency analysis processes have resulted in shift schedule and logistical improvements that have provided for more efficient customer operation of facilities and production. In addition, GEM has been actively involved in assessing biological threats and concerns and designed engineered solutions to such problems.

GEM involvement in nuclear engineering has been focused on the inventory and accountability special nuclear materials (SNM). We are providing highly specialized technical support to the Material Control and Accountability programs at several Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities. Technical services include such things as update of the computer code for Propagation of Variance (POV) and revised measurement techniques for holdup quantities of SNM.

GEM is actively involved in the international safeguards of nuclear materials, participating in preparations for and implementation of international treaties and protocols for nuclear nonproliferation. GEM has provided nuclear safeguards support in many countries worldwide including South Africa, Romania, and other prior eastern block countries under the DOE/NNSA GTRI contract. GEM developed and implemented a training program involving international radioactive material transfer and transport. GEM planned, developed, and implemented the first nuclear safety skill development program for South African regulators, nuclear facility operating personnel, and transport personnel. The training program supported the first US-origin nuclear removal project in South Africa.

GEM has provided the structural and civil design efforts for the siting of facilities and associated support elements for the National Space and Aeronautics Administration. This has included development of programmatic documentation for the existing infrastructure, planned acquisition efforts, and emergency operations.
Protective force response against the theft of special nuclear material and weapons, creation of improvised nuclear devices, potential malevolent acts associated with the disruption of mission critical facilities/assets, and sabotage that could affect the health and safety of the public, work force, and environment

GEM has developed several systems that assure integration of information and work processes. We developed an Information Locator System for the Department of Energy Richland Operations Office for the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS). This information locator includes a data repository to host information about TWRS technical data that is required by statutory and regulatory directives. As such, it is considered a key portion of the Site’s Records Management System and was developed as an adjunct to that system. GEM developed a similar, but more advanced, Information Locator System for the Department of Energy Savannah River Site. This system was developed to house all financial and technical data supporting the fiscal year budget submittal and execution. Technical areas covered include: Environment, Safety and Health, Maintenance, Information Resource Management, and Safeguards and Security. Continuing success lead GEM to development of an Information Locator for the Department of Energy Office of Field Management that housed information related to budget formulation, authorization, and appropriation.

GEM has a long history of development, execution, and management of electronic information management systems. This experience includes the establishment and implementation of a formal Records Management System for various Department of Energy programs nationwide. GEM personnel developed the requirements for systems using the National Records Act, U.S. Statutes and Regulations, Department of Energy Orders, and Project Mission Statements. This effort included: system architecture, hardware and software identification, procurement, installation and maintenance, drafting of all internal management and administrative documentation, training of all personnel using the system, and system maintenance including all data input and retrieval.

GEM has extensive experience in project control/estimating. As a result of the efforts and assistance of GEM staff, the Department of Energy has made tens of millions of dollars in cost savings and cost avoidance. GEM planning has allowed the Department of Energy Environmental Management organizations at both headquarters and the field to maintain schedule commitments and complete projects on time and within or below cost. GEM expert analysis and effective recommendations, resulting from our participation in the development of policy and field implementation guidance, have played a key role in cost savings and maintenance of planned schedules.